Taverna
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Taverna (disambiguation).
Taverna is the term used in Anglo-Saxon countries to refer to a small restaurant serving Greek cuisine, not to be confused with "tavern". The Greek word is Ταβέρνα and is originally derived from the Latin word taberna ('shed' or 'hut', from tabula 'board'). As Greeks have migrated elsewhere, tavernas have spread throughout the world, especially countries such as the USA and Australia. The taverna is an integral part of Greek cuisine and of Greek culture.
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[edit] Cuisine
A typical menu for a taverna would usually include many if not all of the following items:
- Bread such as pita bread;
- Appetisers or entrees including tzatziki a dip, spanokopita, saganaki and dolmades;
- Soups such as avgolemono;
- Pasta such as pastitsio;
- Fish and seafood dishes;
- Vegetable dishes most notably moussaka;
- Greek salad;
- Grilled dishes such as gyros and souvlaki;
- Minced dishes;
- Sweet dishes such as baklava, loukomas and loukoumia;
- Fruit and cheese;
- Wine including retsina and mavrodafni;
- Beer such as Mythos, Heineken, Henninger and Kaiser all locally brewed; and
- Spirits such as ouzo, tsipouro and Metaxa brandy.
[edit] Operations
Tavernas open at later hours than restaurants in the UK or US with dinner hours starting at 8.30pm and reaching a peak around 10pm[1] As tourism has grown in Greece many tavernas have attempted to cater to foreign visitors with English menus and touts or "shills" being employed in many tavernas to attract passing tourists. Similarly, tavernas in tourist areas pay commissions to tour guides who send business their way[2].
[edit] Tavernas in literature and art
The taverna has become an integral part of Greek culture and has become familiar to people from other countries who visit Greece and through the establishment of tavernas overseas by expatriate Greeks. Tavernas have also been portrayed in the arts and literature.
For example, the lead character in the play and film Shirley Valentine written by Willy Russell leaves her husband and family in Liverpool for a vacation where she has an affair with a waiter at the taverna and ends up working in the taverna[3]
[edit] References
- Greek glossary featuring a definition of taverna
- Soc.Culture.Greek FAQ including a typical taverna menu
[edit] Notes
- ^ Emily Hiestand, "Lessons from the Taverna" in Larry Haberger, Sean O'Reilly and Brian S Alexander Travelers Tales Greece: True Stories Travelers Tales 2003 ISBN 1-885211-99-6 page 65
- ^ Anthony Cox, Still Life in Crete: A Singular View Universal Publishers 2001 ISBN 1-58112-691-3 page 97
- ^ "Willy Russell" in Contemporary Dramatists, 6th ed. St. James Press, 1999. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2005
[edit] Further reading
- Stone, Tom (2002). The Summer of my Greek Taverna:A Memoir. Simon & Schuster.
